Of course, wanting to be kind to myself I said it that way. Googling opinionated I found assertive, dogmatic, fixed views of preconceived ideas, adamant, uncompromising, believing very strongly and expressing it. I also wanted to look at the antonyms for opinionated. For that I found receptive, approachable, impartial, broad-minded, open to suggestions, persuadable, understanding. All of this was important to me because I need to see what this verse (actually, this whole chapter in Romans) is saying to me.
It would be interesting to let someone who is more of the receptive mindset add to this post because I feel it would have a different flair. I would love to see some comments from that perspective.
To get back to the matter at hand, we are instructed to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. The whole discourse in Romans 14 talks about the weak and the strong of faith--each not judging the other, letting the Lord be their judge. It gives examples of food, drink, and holding one day more sacred than another, but these are only a few of the ways we can judge each other.
In this day of rampant social media where we each have an opinion and don't mind sharing it in loud, unequivocal terms this is a very important teaching. There is value to both sides of opinionated versus receptive. There are some things that are important to be uncompromising about like the Bible being the inerrant word of God. There are things that are important to be receptive to like a new way of doing a task that might be beneficial. But there is also a down side to each of these. Being dogmatically black and white about the right or wrong of an issue might cause another to stumble or be offended and does not follow the instructions to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. On the other hand being so open-minded that we are too easily swayed in matters of import is not spiritually healthy either.
Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God, Paul states. He continues, by saying that we need to stop passing judgment on one another and to make up our mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in their way. We can be fully convinced of something that another is fully convinced of in the opposite persuasion without feeling that we have to bring them over to our way of thinking. He tells us on these disputable matters to keep it between ourselves and God.
The bottom line--is what I am doing and saying promoting peace and the lifting up of another? That is where I must hold myself accountable. Am I speaking and acting in a way that shows you my love? Am I being Jesus in this world? I may be the only Jesus some will ever see. I will certainly do it imperfectly, but that will be my aim.
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